Conway South Carolina Deeds and Property Records
Conway property records are held at the Horry County Register of Deeds. Conway is the county seat of Horry County and is home to about 22,000 residents. Because Conway serves as the county seat, the Register of Deeds office is located within the city. All deeds, mortgages, plats, and other real estate instruments affecting Conway properties are recorded and indexed there. Property owners, buyers, title researchers, and lenders can access Conway property records through the Horry County government site at horrycounty.org/departments or by visiting the Register of Deeds in person.
Conway Quick Facts
Where to Find Conway Property Records
Conway property records are recorded at the Horry County Register of Deeds. Under Section 30-5-10 of the South Carolina Code, Horry County maintains a separate Register of Deeds office as the official repository for all real property instruments in the county. Because Conway is the county seat, the courthouse and Register of Deeds are located within city limits. This central location makes in-person access straightforward for Conway residents and property owners.
The Horry County property records search tool is available at the Horry County government site at horrycounty.org/departments. This portal allows searches by owner name, parcel number, and address for Conway properties. You can also access deed images and related instruments through the county's online system. Title researchers working on Conway properties routinely use both the county portal and the statewide SC Land Records portal for index verification.
The screenshot below is from the City of Conway website, which provides information on local government services, permitting, and development activity within the city.
The City of Conway website lists the departments that handle building permits, zoning certificates, and code enforcement records, which complement the deed records maintained at the county level.
| Recording Office | Horry County Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Online Records | Horry County government site at horrycounty.org/departments |
| County Website | horrycounty.org |
| City Website | cityofconway.com |
Searching Conway Property Records Online
The Horry County government site at horrycounty.org/departments is the primary online tool for finding Conway deed records. You can search by owner name, property address, or parcel identification number. The system returns a list of matching records with document type, recording date, and the names of the parties. From there, you can access the scanned image of the recorded document.
Horry County is one of the more active real estate markets in South Carolina given the broader Grand Strand region's growth. Conway, as the county seat, has a long record of property transactions going back well into the 19th century. The online index covers the modern recording period well. For older records, in-person research at the Register of Deeds or the state archives may be necessary.
The screenshot below is from the City of Conway departments page, which shows the city services most relevant to Conway property owners and researchers.
Conway city departments handle local land use and permitting decisions that affect property within city limits, separate from the Horry County Register of Deeds records.
Note: The SC Land Records portal at sclandrecords.com also indexes Horry County documents and serves as a useful cross-reference when you need to confirm search results.
Types of Property Documents Recorded for Conway
The Horry County Register of Deeds records a wide variety of real estate instruments for Conway properties. Warranty deeds are the standard instrument for conveying fee simple ownership. Quitclaim deeds are used in situations where the grantor conveys only their current interest without making title warranties. Both deed types appear frequently in Conway transactions given the active real estate market in the area.
Mortgage instruments and deeds of trust secure real property as loan collateral. Releases and satisfactions of mortgage discharge the lien when a loan is paid off. Subdivision plats establish the legal boundaries of lots in Conway's residential and commercial developments. Easements grant specific use rights across parcels and are recorded to protect utilities and access rights.
Additional instruments recorded at Horry County for Conway properties include:
- Lis pendens notices filed in connection with pending lawsuits
- Mechanic's liens for unpaid construction and improvement work
- Powers of attorney used at real estate closings
- Assignments of mortgage and other loan transfer documents
- Boundary line agreements between neighboring landowners
Conway Property Assessment and Taxation
The Horry County Assessor's Office values all real property in Conway for tax purposes. South Carolina law under Title 12, Chapter 37 mandates a countywide reassessment every five years. The Assessor appraises each Conway parcel at its fair market value. Property owners are notified when a reassessment results in a value increase over the threshold set by state law.
Act 388 of 2006 limits taxable value increases to 15% between reassessment cycles for properties that do not transfer ownership. When a Conway property is sold in a qualifying transaction, an Assessable Transfer of Interest (ATI) occurs. The ATI overrides the 15% cap and resets the taxable value to full fair market value for the tax year following the transfer. This is an important consideration for buyers calculating their expected property tax obligation after closing.
Assessment ratios in South Carolina are 4% for owner-occupied residences, 4% for qualifying farmland, and 6% for commercial property and non-primary residences. Conway has a mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial properties along its main corridors, so the applicable ratio depends on how the property is classified and used.
Recording Real Property Documents in Horry County
Documents submitted to the Horry County Register of Deeds must comply with Section 30-5-30 of the South Carolina Code. Every instrument must be acknowledged before a notary public, or proved by affidavit of a subscribing witness, before the Register of Deeds will accept it. Original signatures are required on all instruments. South Carolina law requires two witnesses on deeds and mortgages conveying interests in real property.
Section 30-5-35 requires that every deed and mortgage include a derivation clause identifying how the grantor acquired the property. This clause typically references the prior deed by book and page number. The mailing address of the grantee or mortgagee must also appear on the face of the document. These requirements apply to all Conway property instruments recorded at Horry County.
The state deed recording fee is calculated at $1.85 per $500 of stated property value, per guidance from the South Carolina Department of Revenue. The Register of Deeds collects this fee at the time of recording and remits the state's portion monthly. Section 30-5-90 requires the Register to index and record all documents within 30 days of receipt.
Historical Property Records in Conway
Conway has served as the Horry County seat since the county's formation. This long history means that the Register of Deeds office holds deed books and plat volumes dating back to the county's establishment. Horry County was formed from Georgetown District in 1801, and property records from that period forward are preserved in the county's official files. Many of the older records have been microfilmed for preservation.
For pre-county records, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History in Columbia maintains land grant records and plat volumes for the Georgetown District, which covered the area that became Horry County. The Archives' Surveyor General collection includes colonial and state plat books that document original land grants in the region. Researchers tracing Conway property chains back to the 18th century should contact the Archives for guidance on available collections.
The image below is from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, which holds historical land records for all South Carolina counties, including Horry.
The Archives in Columbia is the main repository for Conway and Horry County historical property records that predate the modern digital index.
SC Land Records Portal for Conway Properties
The SC Land Records statewide portal provides indexed access to recorded instruments from Horry County, including Conway properties. The portal returns results by party name and includes the document type, recording date, and a brief legal description. This is a useful starting point for researchers who want to confirm a search result from the county's own portal or who are working across multiple counties.
South Carolina's recording system assigns each instrument a sequential reel and page number that serves as its permanent identifier. When a document is recorded at the Horry County Register of Deeds, it is scanned, indexed, and microfilmed for preservation. The original is returned to the property owner. The county retains the scanned image and microfilm as the official permanent record. Certified copies can be obtained from the Register of Deeds either in person or through the county's online system.
Horry County Property Records
Conway is the county seat of Horry County. All property deed recordings for Conway are held by the Horry County Register of Deeds. For complete county-level resources, recording fees, and related services, visit the Horry County property records page.
Nearby South Carolina Cities
Cities near Conway are served by Horry County and neighboring recording offices. Choose a city below to find property records for that area.